1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pre-insulated piping systems, and more specifically to a method for isolating a section of piping in the case of a breakdown of the insulation in the presence of water or other contaminants or under thermal movement stresses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many instances in which insulated pipelines are needed. For example, distributed HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) applications utilize chilled water for cooling and steam for heating. The chiller and boiler are typically contained in a central location and the chilled water and steam are distributed to other locations. For example, on a school campus, the chiller and boiler may be located in a power plant building. The chilled water and steam are distributed to classrooms in separate buildings.
A set of insulated pipelines is used to convey the chilled water from the chiller to other locations and back to the chiller. Another set of insulated pipelines is used to carry the steam from the boiler to the other locations and back to the boiler. The insulated pipelines are usually located underground.
Insulated pipe is conventional and commercially available. There are predominately two types of piping systems in use: Class-A drainable dryable testable (DDT); and polyurethane or polyisocyanurate “bonded” foam systems. Both of these systems use an inner carrier pipe to convey fluid. Although steel is commonly used for the inner pipe which carries the media to be piped, copper or aluminum or other metals as well as fiberglass, PVC, and similar materials may be utilized, as well. The present application is directed toward the “bonded” foam type system. These systems utilize a steel pipe to convey fluid. Around the outside of the steel pipe is a layer of insulating foam such as, for example, polyisocyanurate foam. Around the outside of the foam is a jacket of hard thermoplastic (such as high density polyethylene, HDPE). The foam has set up or cured within the outer jacket so as to bond to the jacket and to the inner pipe. The plastic jacket protects the foam from mechanical damage and also provides a water tight seal to prevent corrosion of the steel pipe. In the bonded type system, the foam and outer jacket do not move relative to the inner pipe. In the Class-A type system, on the other hand, the insulated inner pipe is designed to move independently of the associated outer jacket. In fact, there is an air gap between the inner pie and outer carrier pipe in the class-A type system.
Ground water is the enemy of foamed systems. The protective jacket of the insulated pipeline may also be punctured inadvertently by maintenance or construction operations, as where another utility line is being installed in the immediate vicinity. If the outer protective jacket is penetrated for any reason, ground water and water vapor may enter the piping system. This leads to deterioration of the foam as ground water slowly eats its away.
Steps can be taken in an attempt to prevent external intrusion into the protective jacket of the insulated pipeline. For example, in the case of adjacent utility work, above ground markers, surveying tools, and the like can be used to help avoid contact with the underground insulated pipeline.
Despite attempts to prevent damage of the above type, there continues to exist a need for a system for isolating a section of pre-insulated piping in the case of a breakdown in the integrity of the outer protective jacket.
There continues to exist a need for such a system which would absolutely insure that water which penetrated the outer jacket was prevented from traveling down the pipeline past a predetermined stop point.